Braiding-machine.



E.L.RANKIN.

BRAIDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Au6.25.1913.

Patented July 4, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I- I Jay 5. w I b k Attorneys E. L. RANKIN.

BRAIDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG-25. I913,

1 1 89,488. Patented July 4, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M .l W -a Attofneys Inve ntor Wxtvresses E L I R km 1.5 f W r1125 om E. L. RANKIN.

BRAIDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-25,1913.

Patented J uly 4, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Witnesses Wm m a vR h u 0 L l s e H M E Va b 0 ,Acto v 14 eys E. AN BRAI MA H E. APPLICATION .FILED AUG-25, 1913.

Patented Jul ,1916.

E. L. RANKIN.

BRAIDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.25, 1913 I Patented July 4, 1916.

I 5 SHEETS-SHEET 5- Wimq e 55 es 114 ventor Ernest L outs Rankin Attorneys T all whom it may concern:

Specification' of Letters Patent.

nminsr LOUIS RANKIN, or nas'r SHEEN, ENGLAND.

BnAInINe-MAcHmE;

- Patented July 4, 1916.

Application filed August 25, 1913. Serial No. 786,492.

Be it known that I, ERNEST Loors RAN .KIN, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 1'7 Portsman avenue, East Sheen, Surrey, England, have invented, certain new, and useful Improvements in Braiding-Machines, of-which the following is a specification.

This invention for improvementsin braiding machines relates tomachlnes in WlllCh the upper and lower sets of bobbins are rotated in opposite directions byupper and lower spiders and in which the threads from the lower set of bobbins are passed under and over the threads of the upper setof bobbins by means of thread throwing arms cooperating with thread passing devices the upper bobbins being mounted to slide on the periphery of the lower spider.

My invention has for its'object to provide improved'thread passing meansand generally to simplify the construction of ma-' chines of this type. a

According to my invention the upper bobbin carriers which are mounted on the upturned edge of the lower spider are coupled to the upper spider .so as to be ca'rried around therewith, by means of gapped disks which are mounted to rotate about vertical pivots on the upper spider, and eoiip'erate with thread throwing arms whiehare mounted tooscillate on oblique spindles and also with slots in the lower spider to pass the 1 threads from the lower bobbins under and over the upper bobbins. The thread throwing arms are actuated'by aplate or frame which is reeiprocated vertically and acts on the arms through ball crank spindles.

My invention also comprises other novel features hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figures 1 and 1- representa sectional ele-' "ation of a braiding machineconstructed .ac-

cording to the present invention and Fig. 2

shaft 1) respectively. These spiders are rotated in opposite directions by the bevelv wheels (I? b? which engage the bevel pinion c on the driving shaft 0'. The upper spider ais substantially flat while the other spider Zfis provided with an upturned edge which is gapped to allow-of the passing of the threads from the lower bobbins under those fromthe upper bobbins In the machine illustrated,eightupper and eight lower bobbins are provided.

The upper bobbin carriers 03 and their bobbins cl are mounted to slide on the peripheryof the lower spider b and are carried around with the upper'spider a by thefiangeddisks e rotatively mounted thereon.

Thesedisks e are provided with two recesses a as shown and carry pinions e at their lower ends which engage intermediate pinions a rotatively mounted in the spider a and meshing with 'atoothed flange 6 formed on the upper face of the lower spiderb. The diameter of the pinion e" on the flanged dlSkS e is a quarter of that of the toothed flange N [in order that necessary relative m'otlon be tween the flanged disks 6 and the lower bobbins may be imparted to efiect the passing under the'thread as hereinafter described.

The lower bobbin carriers 9 are supported on brackets g depending from the lower spider b. The thread passing mechanism which is also mounted on the lower bobbln carriers comprises a double arm lever h h mounted on an oblique spindle. k passing throughxthe' carrier 9. Une end h of the double arm lever serves for. passing the thread while the other 'end it which is forked and curved-engages'the ball crank 11, the spindle i of which is rotatably mounted in the bobbin carrierg. This splndle 1s also cranked atitsother end and is fitted with a small roller or'die which. engages the annular groove in the rising and falling operatingplate The vertical movement of the operating plate 9' the ball crank z'to the thread passing arms,

is'transmitted by so that the thread from the lowerbobbins 1s alternately raised and lowered sufficiently to pass over and under the-upper bobbins.

It is necessary in such machines that when a defect is forniedin the product that the -machines shouldbe, turned backward and the defect cured by unplaitingthe braidr To effect this, means for taking up the slack in the thread must be provided andth'is is accomplished -as follows -Qn' the bottom lea spider is fulcrumed a number of arms 9 which while thebottom spider is rotating are held out by centrifugalforge and do not come in contact with the thread but when the machine is stopped the arms then fall and rest on the threads so that when the machine is turned backward the weight of the arms take up the slack which is given by the unplaiting of the braid. p k

The threads from the lower bobbins g are passed .under the arm 9 on theadjacent bobbin carrier and thence through the tension device 71, arranged on the'end of the spindle h tothe eye of the thread passing arm it. p I The rising and falling plate j is operated by a pair ofieccentrics is mounted on (two countershafts k arranged on either side of and driven'byspur wheels from the main driving shaft 0 The eccentric straps are connected to the plate y by connecting rods k -pivoted between pairs of lugs provided on a ring 7' slidably arranged around the boss of the plate The eifect of this mechanism is that as the rising and falling plate v v j reaches the top. or bottom of its stroke, the

.roller or dies engaged with the groove im parts less motion to' the ball crank spindle,

and as the ball crank spindle is partially rotated in the fork of the drawing arm, the ball slides without imparting motion to the throwing arm,=thereby givinga positive upper bobbins.

I y' actuated as described above while the other set is operated from a second plate mounted dwell while the thread is passing over or under the upper bobbins.

i The modified arrangement of gear for op erating the lower bobbins illustrated in Fig. 6 is intendedto operate the thread passing mechanism in two sets, so that when one set passes the threads over the ,upper bobbin the other set passes the threads under the One set of ball cranks is operated from the rising-and falling plate onia sleeve 7' capable of slidingon the hollow shaft b This sleevej is operated by a pair of connecting rods 9 7' engaging eccentrics 70 70 mounted on a countershaft 70 and thermaindriving shaft 0 of the machine respectively. Thecountershaft 70 is driven by a bevel pinion is meshing between 1 s the bevel wheels a 6 By this means one set of thread passing arms is raised while I is provided with thread receiving means and the other forked and curved, a ball crank engaged with said forked arm and having its spindle rotatably mounted in said support, a crank on said spindle, and a vertically movable member having an annular groove to receive said last mentioned crank.

2. The combination with a bobbin support; of an obliquely mounted spindle carried thereby, a double armed throwing lever mounted on said' spindle, one arm of which is provided with thread receiving means ,and the other forked and curved, a ball crank engaged with said forked arm and having its spindle'rotatably mounted in said support, a crank on said spindle, a vertically movablemember having anannular groove to receive said last mentioned crank, and means for imparting a positive dwell to the throwing. lever whilethe thread is passing the bobbin. p 7

3. The combination'with "a bobbinsupport; of an obliquely mounted spindle car- I ried thereby, a double armed throwing lever mounted'on said spindle, one arm of'which is provided with thread receiving means and the other forked and'curved, a ball crank engaged with said forked arm and having its spindle rotatably mounted in said support, a crank on said spindle, a vertlcally movable member having an annular groove to receive saidlast mentioned, cranks, andrneansfor partially rotating said ball crank spindle in the 'fork of said throwing arm to cause the ball to slide without imparting motion to the throwing lever, thereby rm parting a positive dwell to the throwing lever while the thread is passing the bobbln.

- In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

in presence bf two witnesses.

ERNEST LOUIS RANKIN. Witnesses:

' O. J. WORTH,

E. ROGERS. 

